What is the meaning of Luke 22:1? Now • Luke sets the scene with a simple time-marker: “Now.” • It signals a shift from Jesus’ public teaching in the temple (Luke 21:37-38) to the final chain of events leading to the cross. • The word invites readers to feel the immediacy of what is unfolding, similar to how Mark 14:1 opens the same narrative moment. • Scripture often highlights critical turns with such time cues—compare John 13:1, where the evangelist notes Jesus “knew that His hour had come.” the Feast of Unleavened Bread • This seven-day celebration (Exodus 12:14-20; Leviticus 23:5-8) commemorated Israel’s hasty escape from Egypt, when there was no time to let dough rise. • Families removed all leaven from their homes (Deuteronomy 16:4), a picture of cleansing that the New Testament later applies to sin (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). • In Luke’s Gospel, the feast frames Jesus as the true, sinless Firstborn who will secure a greater exodus for His people (Luke 9:31 alludes to this deliverance when Moses and Elijah speak of His “departure”). • By linking Jesus’ passion to this feast, the Spirit underscores the perfect harmony between Old Testament shadow and New Testament fulfillment. called the Passover • Luke notes that the Feast of Unleavened Bread was popularly “called the Passover,” because the two observances were so closely connected (Matthew 26:17). • Passover itself focused on the lamb sacrificed the evening of Nisan 14, its blood shielding Israel from judgment (Exodus 12:5-13). • John the Baptist’s declaration, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), finds its full meaning here. • Jesus deliberately aligns His death with Passover, so His body becomes the once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26). • The terminology overlap hints that God sees one grand redemption story, from Egypt’s doorposts to Calvary’s cross. was approaching • The feast “was approaching,” stressing urgency and divine timetable. Prophecy meets its deadline exactly, as Jesus has repeatedly predicted (Luke 9:22; 18:31-33). • Tension rises: leaders plot (Luke 22:2), Judas schemes (22:3-6), yet the schedule remains under God’s sovereign hand (Acts 2:23). • Approaching also means opportunity: pilgrims flock to Jerusalem (John 11:55-57), creating the setting where multitudes will witness the crucifixion and later hear the gospel (Acts 2:5-11). • The phrase reminds believers that God’s purposes move inexorably forward; nothing can delay or derail His redemptive plan. summary Luke 22:1 places us on the brink of history’s pivotal week. With a single sentence the Spirit ties together timing (“now”), covenant memory (Feast of Unleavened Bread), sacrificial meaning (“called the Passover”), and prophetic inevitability (“was approaching”). Every detail confirms that Scripture’s promises are literal, trustworthy, and fulfilled in Jesus—our spotless Passover Lamb who delivers us from sin and leads us into lasting freedom. |
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